Chains & Veils
by Elizabeth Villareal
University of the Incarnate Word
Elizabeth is a passionate writer and poet, originally from a background where English is not her first language. Over the years, she has worked hard to improve her skills in reading and writing, driven by a love for poetry that began in her youth. Elizabeth’s work reflects her journey of learning, growing, and expressing myself through the beauty of language.
My bride veil, made of chains,
at 14, silent gains,
smothered my dreams like too much heat
on a summer day too long to keep.
A child, forced to hold love's weight
before I knew what it meant to wait.
A mother too young,
a girl too small—
no time to grow, no room to fall.
Bruises on my skin and soul,
life demanding I play the role—
but I ate the heartbreak, bitter and raw,
felt love crack like broken law.
Each vow that crumbled,
each stare that hollowed.
Left me wondering,
is anyone bothered?
I stand on the life I built,
dreams I carry under guilt.
No white dress, no church, no song,
just a man I’m with,
and something feels wrong.
Do I matter?
Does he see the woman I could be,
or am I just the scars I wear,
a shadow of who I was meant to be?
But still, in the dark,
I hold to light,
burning quietly—
a flicker in the fight.
A story of sorrow,
but also grace,
a fighter still searching
to find her place.